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DTC/P0195

P0195 : Engine Oil Temperature Sensor

Quick Answer
Moderee GraviteConduite possible (a court terme)Electrique

P0195 means the engine control unit found an electrical fault in the engine oil temperature sensor circuit, so it can no longer trust what that sensor reports. It is a wiring and sensor fault, not a report that your oil is overheating. The usual causes are a worn-out sensor or a connector filled with oil, water or road salt. The car normally drives as before, but the oil temperature display, the oil service calculation and, on some diesels, the warm-up and injection maps all lose a value they use. Repair costs 45 to 150 euros where the sensor screws in from the outside. Where it sits inside the sump, as it does on BMW, VW Group and Mercedes engines, it is 135 to 420 euros, plus the oil and filter change that has to go with the job, so budget up to about 580 euros.

Cout de reparation estimeDe 45 € a 420 €+, varie selon le vehicule

Scanne ta voiture en 60 secondes environ : vois si P0195 est vraiment présent, à quel point c'est urgent et ce que la réparation devrait coûter.

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Que signifie P0195 ?

P0195 means the engine control unit found an electrical fault in the engine oil temperature sensor circuit, so it can no longer trust what that sensor reports. It is a wiring and sensor fault, not a report that your oil is overheating. The usual causes are a worn-out sensor or a connector filled with oil, water or road salt. The car normally drives as before, but the oil temperature display, the oil service calculation and, on some diesels, the warm-up and injection maps all lose a value they use. Repair costs 45 to 150 euros where the sensor screws in from the outside. Where it sits inside the sump, as it does on BMW, VW Group and Mercedes engines, it is 135 to 420 euros, plus the oil and filter change that has to go with the job, so budget up to about 580 euros.

P0195 est un code defaut lie a electrique, classe en gravite moderate. Lorsque le calculateur de ton vehicule detecte cette condition, il enregistre P0195 et allume le voyant moteur.

Quels sont les symptomes de P0195 ?

Si ton vehicule a declenche P0195, tu peux remarquer un ou plusieurs de ces symptomes :

  • Check engine light on while the car still drives completely normally
  • Oil temperature display reads cold, freezes at one number, or jumps around
  • Oil level or oil service readout in the dash shows no value or an implausible one, on cars where the same sensor measures level
  • Slightly rougher running in the first minutes after a cold start on some diesels, where the ECU has to work from a substitute oil temperature
  • Cooling fan running at odd moments, but only on the engines that use oil temperature in their fan strategy, and normal fan cycling is not itself a fault

Quelles sont les causes de P0195 ?

Voici les causes les plus courantes de P0195 :

eleveeFailed oil temperature sensor, the sensing element or its internal electronics have gone open or short circuit after years in hot oil
eleveeOil-soaked sensor connector, oil creeping down the harness from a leaking valve cover or oil filter housing gasket fills the plug and bridges the pins
moyenneWater and road salt in the connector, common on sump-mounted sensors that sit at the lowest and most exposed point of the engine
moyenneDamaged wiring between sensor and ECU, chafed insulation or a wire rubbed through where the harness passes the engine or subframe
faiblePoor ground or a loose ECU connector pin, giving the sensor an unstable reference so the reading drifts out of range
faibleFailed control module input, rare, and only worth considering once the sensor, its wiring and its ground have all tested good

Peut-on rouler sans risque avec P0195 ?

En general oui, pour des trajets courts. Safe to drive in normal use. The oil is not actually too hot, the engine control unit has simply lost a reading it can trust, so there is no immediate mechanical risk. The catch is that you also lose the early warning that would tell you if the oil really did overheat, and on diesels the ECU falls back to a substitute value in its warm-up strategy. Fix it within a few weeks, and sooner if you tow or drive hard.

Comment diagnostique-t-on P0195 ?

Suis ces etapes pour identifier la cause profonde de P0195 :

  1. Read every stored code first and note whether P0195 arrived alone or alongside P0196, P0197 or P0198. Then read the freeze frame: a fault recorded on a cold start points at wiring, one recorded only when the engine was hot points at the sensor
  2. Warm the engine fully and watch the live oil temperature value on a scan tool. A healthy engine settles somewhere around 90 to 110 C. A value pinned at the lowest or highest number the tool can display, or one that jumps around, is the fault you are chasing
  3. Leave the car overnight, then compare oil temperature against coolant temperature and intake air temperature at key-on. On a cold engine all three should read within a few degrees of each other, so a large gap means the oil sensor is reporting nonsense
  4. Find the sensor, which sits in the oil filter housing, the block or the underside of the sump depending on the engine, unplug it and look inside the connector for oil, water, green corrosion or spread pins. Clean and reseat it before condemning any parts
  5. Test the circuit the way your sensor actually works, because most of the engines that set this code do not use a plain two-wire sensor. On a genuine two-wire thermistor, switch the ignition on and check for roughly 5 volts on one pin and a solid ground on the other, then unplug it and measure its resistance against the manufacturer figure for that temperature. On a BMW with the sump-mounted oil condition sensor there are three pins and nothing an ohmmeter can tell you: confirm the plug has battery voltage and a good ground, look at the single data wire with an oscilloscope, and check whether the alternator, the intelligent battery sensor, the glow module or the electric coolant pump have logged faults too, because they all share that BSD data line and one wiring fault can take several of them down together. On a VW Group G266 the three pins are battery voltage, ground and a pulse-width signal that runs to the instrument cluster, so check power and ground with a meter but read the actual value through the cluster with VCDS rather than probing for it. On Mercedes the sump sensor is pulse coded as well, so live data is the only meaningful test. Whichever type you have, wiggle the harness while watching the live value to catch an intermittent break
  6. If sensor supply, ground and wiring all check out, fit an OEM or known-brand sensor, clear the code and drive one full warm-up cycle to confirm the reading tracks coolant temperature sensibly and the code stays away

Combien coute la reparation de P0195 ?

Les couts de reparation de P0195 varient selon la cause profonde et ton vehicule. Voici des estimations courantes :

Reparation Cout des pieces Cout de main-d'oeuvre Estimation totale Difficulte en autonomie
Replace screw-in oil temperature sensor €15–€60 €30–€90 €45–€150 Facile
Replace combined oil level and temperature sensor in the sump €55–€220 €80–€200 €135–€420 Moderee
Repair sensor wiring or connector €10–€40 €50–€130 €60–€170 Moderee
Oil and filter change after sump sensor work €40–€90 €30–€70 €70–€160 Facile
Workshop diagnosis of an intermittent circuit fault €0–€0 €60–€140 €60–€140 Professionnel

Prix estimes au March 2026. Les couts varient selon la region, le vehicule et le garage.

P0195 sur des vehicules specifiques

P0195 se comporte differemment selon ton vehicule. Selectionne ta voiture ci-dessous pour des causes propres au modele, les problemes connus et des estimations de couts ajustees :

BMW

P0195 sur BMW 3 Series

2005-2024

On most modern BMW petrol and diesel engines there is no separate screw-in oil temperature sender. Oil temperature comes from the combined oil condition sensor bolted into the sump, which BMW calls the OZS and which measures oil level, oil temperature and oil quality in one unit before reporting all three to the DME. It does not send a simple resistance signal, it sends a digital signal that BMW has carried both as a pulse-width output and over the single-wire BSD data line depending on the generation, so the usual two-wire thermistor resistance test does not apply here. Two things matter in practice. The sensor sits at the lowest point of the engine, so its connector collects water and winter road salt, and oil leaking down from a tired valve cover or oil filter housing gasket can fill the same plug and bridge the pins. Replacing the sensor means draining the oil, so plan an oil and filter change into the job. P0195 and P0196 appearing together on a BMW usually means the whole sensor signal has dropped out rather than two separate faults, so treat it as one problem.

Quelles sont les causes de P0195 sur une BMW 3 Series ?

BMW 3 SeriesFailed sump-mounted oil condition sensor, which is what carries the oil temperature signal on modern BMW engines
BMW 3 SeriesOil or water in the sensor connector, from a leaking gasket above or road salt below

Cout de reparation de P0195 pour BMW 3 Series

Couts estimes pour les proprietaires de BMW 3 Seriesajuste a la hausse par rapport a la moyenne en raison du prix des pieces specifiques a BMW

Reparation Cout des pieces Cout de main-d'oeuvre Estimation totale Difficulte en autonomie
Replace screw-in oil temperature sensor €21–€84 €42–€126 €63–€210 Facile
Replace combined oil level and temperature sensor in the sump €77–€308 €112–€280 €189–€588 Moderee
Repair sensor wiring or connector €14–€56 €70–€182 €84–€238 Moderee
Oil and filter change after sump sensor work €56–€126 €42–€98 €98–€224 Facile
Workshop diagnosis of an intermittent circuit fault €0–€0 €84–€196 €84–€196 Professionnel

Prix estimes au March 2026. Les couts varient selon la region, le vehicule et le garage.

BMW

P0195 sur BMW 5 Series

2005-2024

The 5 Series uses the same sump-mounted oil condition sensor as the rest of the modern BMW range, so oil temperature, oil level and oil quality all come from one unit bolted into the bottom of the engine and reported digitally to the DME. The six-cylinder diesels use the same design and the same name for it as the petrols, and because one unit carries three readings, losing it costs you the oil level and oil quality values as well, not just the temperature. Do not expect the code to explain a hard cold start on its own: glow plug heating on these engines is governed by coolant temperature, not oil temperature. Match the part to the build date rather than to the model name, because the oldest cars covered here can still have a plain thermal oil level sender with no oil quality channel. Because the sensor sits at the lowest point of the engine, its connector takes the worst of the road spray and winter salt, and oil creeping down from a leaking valve cover or oil filter housing gasket above can bridge the pins, so inspect and dry the plug before buying a sensor. Replacement means lifting the car and draining the oil, so have an oil and filter change done at the same time. P0195 and P0196 together on this platform is normally one dropped sensor signal, not two faults.

Quelles sont les causes de P0195 sur une BMW 5 Series ?

BMW 5 SeriesFailed sump-mounted oil condition sensor, the single unit that supplies oil temperature on this platform
BMW 5 SeriesOil or salt water bridging the sensor connector under the engine, often fed by a leaking gasket above it

Cout de reparation de P0195 pour BMW 5 Series

Couts estimes pour les proprietaires de BMW 5 Seriesajuste a la hausse par rapport a la moyenne en raison du prix des pieces specifiques a BMW

Reparation Cout des pieces Cout de main-d'oeuvre Estimation totale Difficulte en autonomie
Replace screw-in oil temperature sensor €21–€84 €42–€126 €63–€210 Facile
Replace combined oil level and temperature sensor in the sump €77–€308 €112–€280 €189–€588 Moderee
Repair sensor wiring or connector €14–€56 €70–€182 €84–€238 Moderee
Oil and filter change after sump sensor work €56–€126 €42–€98 €98–€224 Facile
Workshop diagnosis of an intermittent circuit fault €0–€0 €84–€196 €84–€196 Professionnel

Prix estimes au March 2026. Les couts varient selon la region, le vehicule et le garage.

Volkswagen

P0195 sur Volkswagen Golf

2005-2024

Many Golf engines take their oil temperature from the combined oil level and oil temperature sensor bolted to the underside of the sump, which VW labels G266. Some engines also carry a second oil temperature sender in the block, labelled G8, so confirm which one the code refers to before ordering a part. With VCDS the tell-tale entry is fault 00562, sensor for oil level and temperature, usually with an implausible signal note. Because the G266 sits on the bottom of the sump it takes the full force of road spray and winter salt, so inspect the plug and the short length of harness above it before buying a sensor. The sump itself does not have to come off, but the oil does have to be drained, so pair the repair with a service.

Quelles sont les causes de P0195 sur une Volkswagen Golf ?

Volkswagen GolfFailed G266 oil level and temperature sensor on the underside of the sump
Volkswagen GolfSalt and water corrosion in the G266 connector, common on winter-driven cars

Cout de reparation de P0195 pour Volkswagen Golf

Couts estimes pour les proprietaires de Volkswagen Golfajuste a la hausse par rapport a la moyenne en raison du prix des pieces specifiques a Volkswagen

Reparation Cout des pieces Cout de main-d'oeuvre Estimation totale Difficulte en autonomie
Replace screw-in oil temperature sensor €16–€63 €32–€95 €47–€158 Facile
Replace combined oil level and temperature sensor in the sump €58–€231 €84–€210 €142–€441 Moderee
Repair sensor wiring or connector €11–€42 €53–€137 €63–€179 Moderee
Oil and filter change after sump sensor work €42–€95 €32–€74 €74–€168 Facile
Workshop diagnosis of an intermittent circuit fault €0–€0 €63–€147 €63–€147 Professionnel

Prix estimes au March 2026. Les couts varient selon la region, le vehicule et le garage.

Audi

P0195 sur Audi A4

2005-2024

The A4 uses the same VW Group oil level and temperature sensor as the Golf, the G266 in the underside of the sump, and on some engines an additional oil temperature sender in the block. Access is tighter than on the Golf because of the longitudinal engine layout and the full-length undertray, so allow extra time to lift the car, drop the shielding and drain the oil. Read the fault with VCDS rather than a generic scan tool if you can, because it names the sensor and tells you whether the signal is missing altogether or merely implausible, and that decides whether you are chasing wiring or the sensor.

Quelles sont les causes de P0195 sur une Audi A4 ?

Audi A4Failed G266 oil level and temperature sensor in the sump
Audi A4Extra labour from the undertray removal needed to reach the sensor

Cout de reparation de P0195 pour Audi A4

Couts estimes pour les proprietaires de Audi A4ajuste a la hausse par rapport a la moyenne en raison du prix des pieces specifiques a Audi

Reparation Cout des pieces Cout de main-d'oeuvre Estimation totale Difficulte en autonomie
Replace screw-in oil temperature sensor €19–€75 €38–€113 €56–€188 Facile
Replace combined oil level and temperature sensor in the sump €69–€275 €100–€250 €169–€525 Moderee
Repair sensor wiring or connector €13–€50 €63–€163 €75–€213 Moderee
Oil and filter change after sump sensor work €50–€113 €38–€88 €88–€200 Facile
Workshop diagnosis of an intermittent circuit fault €0–€0 €75–€175 €75–€175 Professionnel

Prix estimes au March 2026. Les couts varient selon la region, le vehicule et le garage.

Skoda

P0195 sur Skoda Octavia

2005-2024

The Octavia shares the VW Group oil level and temperature sensor in the underside of the sump with the Golf, so the fault pattern is identical and parts carry across the platform. On the diesel engines the oil temperature value also feeds the variable service interval calculation, so a dead sensor often shows up first as a service reminder that will not reset properly, before anyone reads the code. Check the connector and the two wires running back toward the engine bay before ordering the sensor, since corrosion at the plug is at least as common as a genuinely failed sensor on cars that see winter roads.

Quelles sont les causes de P0195 sur une Skoda Octavia ?

Skoda OctaviaCorroded or water-filled sensor connector under the sump
Skoda OctaviaOil level and temperature sensor failing after high mileage and many heat cycles

Cout de reparation de P0195 pour Skoda Octavia

Couts estimes pour les proprietaires de Skoda Octaviaajuste a la baisse par rapport a la moyenne en raison du prix des pieces specifiques a Skoda

Reparation Cout des pieces Cout de main-d'oeuvre Estimation totale Difficulte en autonomie
Replace screw-in oil temperature sensor €14–€57 €29–€86 €43–€143 Facile
Replace combined oil level and temperature sensor in the sump €52–€209 €76–€190 €128–€399 Moderee
Repair sensor wiring or connector €10–€38 €48–€124 €57–€162 Moderee
Oil and filter change after sump sensor work €38–€86 €29–€67 €67–€152 Facile
Workshop diagnosis of an intermittent circuit fault €0–€0 €57–€133 €57–€133 Professionnel

Prix estimes au March 2026. Les couts varient selon la region, le vehicule et le garage.

Mercedes-Benz

P0195 sur Mercedes-Benz C-Class

2005-2024

Mercedes also takes oil temperature from a combined sensor in the sump that reports level, temperature and oil quality to the engine control unit, rather than from a separate screw-in sender. It is pulse coded rather than a resistance sender, so a multimeter across the pins proves nothing and live data is the only sensible test. How big the job is depends on the engine, not on the model. On the M272 and M276 V6 petrols, the C350 among them, the sensor sits in the lower pan section: the oil comes out, sixteen E10 bolts come out, the lower section is parted from its sealant bead at the forcing bore and refitted with fresh Drei Bond 1209, which is roughly three hours on axle stands with no subframe removal and no engine drop. Do not assume the same procedure on every C-Class. The four-cylinder M271 petrol and the OM651 diesel use different pan and sensor arrangements, so confirm the job against your exact engine before accepting a quote based on the V6. A leaking sensor seal and an electrical fault often turn up together, so while the pan is off, inspect the sealing face and the sensor opening for damage and fit a new seal rather than reusing the old one.

Quelles sont les causes de P0195 sur une Mercedes-Benz C-Class ?

Mercedes-Benz C-ClassFailed combined oil level, temperature and quality sensor in the sump
Mercedes-Benz C-ClassLeaking or damaged sensor seal at the pan, letting oil reach the connector

Cout de reparation de P0195 pour Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Couts estimes pour les proprietaires de Mercedes-Benz C-Classajuste a la hausse par rapport a la moyenne en raison du prix des pieces specifiques a Mercedes-Benz

Reparation Cout des pieces Cout de main-d'oeuvre Estimation totale Difficulte en autonomie
Replace screw-in oil temperature sensor €20–€81 €41–€122 €61–€203 Facile
Replace combined oil level and temperature sensor in the sump €74–€297 €108–€270 €182–€567 Moderee
Repair sensor wiring or connector €14–€54 €68–€176 €81–€230 Moderee
Oil and filter change after sump sensor work €54–€122 €41–€95 €95–€216 Facile
Workshop diagnosis of an intermittent circuit fault €0–€0 €81–€189 €81–€189 Professionnel

Prix estimes au March 2026. Les couts varient selon la region, le vehicule et le garage.

Ces codes apparaissent souvent avec P0195 ou indiquent des problemes connexes :

P0196P0197P0198P0199P0520

Questions frequentes sur P0195

What does the P0195 code mean?

P0195 means the engine control unit has found an electrical fault in the engine oil temperature sensor circuit and can no longer trust the reading it gets. The signal is either missing altogether or outside the range the ECU allows. It is a circuit fault, not a warning that your oil is too hot, and it is not the same as P0196: that code is set when the signal is electrically healthy but the value itself is not believable. On most cars the sensor itself or its connector is to blame.

What are the symptoms of P0195?

The check engine light is often the only thing you notice, because the car usually drives exactly as before. On models with an oil temperature display the reading may sit cold, freeze at one number, or jump around, and the oil level or oil service readout may refuse to give a value. On some diesels the first minutes after a cold start can feel slightly rougher, because the ECU is working from a substitute oil temperature. On the engines that use oil temperature in their fan strategy the cooling fan may run at odd moments as well, though a fan that cycles on a hot day or after a hard climb is doing its normal job.

What causes a P0195 code?

Most often the sensor itself, which spends its whole life in hot oil and eventually goes open or short circuit. The next most common cause is the connector, which either fills with oil creeping down the harness from a leak above, or with water and road salt from below on sump-mounted sensors. After that come chafed or broken wiring between the sensor and the ECU, and a poor ground. A failed control module is possible but rare and should be the last suspect, not the first.

Is it safe to drive with a P0195 code?

Yes, for normal driving. The oil is not actually overheating, the computer has just lost a reliable reading, so nothing is being damaged right now. What you give up is the early warning that would tell you if the oil really did get too hot, and on diesels the ECU switches to a substitute temperature in its warm-up strategy, which can make the first minutes after a cold start feel slightly rougher. Get it repaired within a few weeks, and sooner if you tow, drive hard, or do a lot of short winter trips.

How do you fix and clear a P0195 code?

Start by unplugging the sensor and inspecting the connector for oil, water, corrosion or spread pins, because cleaning or repairing the plug fixes a fair share of these faults for the price of a can of contact cleaner. If the connector is clean, check the supply voltage and ground at the plug and wiggle the harness while watching the live value, then replace the sensor if the wiring is sound. Clear the code with a scan tool and drive one full warm-up cycle. If oil temperature climbs sensibly alongside coolant temperature and the code stays away, the repair has held.

How much does it cost to fix P0195?

On engines where the sensor screws in from the outside, the part is 15 to 60 euros and the labour 30 to 90 euros, so 45 to 150 euros in total. On BMW, VW Group and Mercedes engines where oil temperature comes from a combined sensor inside the sump, the part is 55 to 220 euros and the labour 80 to 200 euros, so 135 to 420 euros, and the oil and filter change that has to go with it adds another 70 to 160 euros. That puts the realistic ceiling on a sump sensor job at around 580 euros, so treat the low end of any quote with care. A wiring or connector repair on its own is usually 60 to 170 euros, and a workshop diagnosis of an intermittent fault 60 to 140 euros.

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